Facebook Write Pretty One Day
Posted by leah on June 30, 2008 at 09:30 AM
Facebook's next challenge up for battle is, drum roll please - grammar! Gone will be the days of status updates referring to your friends as 'their,' such as "Emily changed their profile picture."
Also (soon to be) a goner, will be the user tag 'themself,' which Facebook points out is not even a real word.
We've used that in place of "himself or herself". We made that grammatical choice in order to respect people who haven't, until now, selected their sex on their profile.
Facebook users who have not declared a gender under their profile preferences are defaulted to 'their' when status updates are changed or when they tag themselves in photos. In order to fix this grammatical mishap, Facebook has decided to request its users to choose a sex if they haven't already done so, and will issue a prompt in a few weeks. Transgendered people and those who find it to be an invasion of privacy, can remove gender from their profile entirely.
This issue stems from Facebook's expansion into other languages.
The Facebook team has discovered that when using the social network in other languages, users who haven't chosen a sex can be completely misrepresented.
People who haven't selected what sex they are frequently get defaulted to the wrong sex entirely in Mini-Feed stories.
You can read more about this issue at the Facebook blog.
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Facebook
Social Networking
Oneupweb
Realtors Open their Doors to Online Marketing
Posted by lawrence on June 27, 2008 at 03:34 PM
For the struggling real estate market an emerging group of new buyers, members of the X and Y generations, are coming into view as a new and largely untapped market. These generations are in their prime home buying years (20s to early 40s), and it is estimated that this demographic will represent more of an economic force than that of the baby boomers. This younger group of potential home buyers is being viewed as a big potential, as many don't have houses that they need to sell first.
Real estate professionals must rethink how they market to this group, or risk losing them to the competition.
Some realtors are trying to connect with these young home buyers through the use of demographic targeted online marketing efforts, including social and viral marketing campaigns. Other agencies are utilizing the options of real time online chat and text messaging as another means of communication to help them relate to and keep up with this tech-savvy demographic.
Because this younger generation grew up with and are using available technologies, they are changing the way that real estate is being marketed and how brokers must use the same technologies to reach this audience. This is the first generation that has had the option to use the computer and internet as casually as a telephone or refrigerator. These young buyers are used to doing their research and obtaining information for themselves, and this has started to shift the role of the real estate agent. As a way to reach out to this group, some agencies have been employing younger agents, who can more comfortably integrate web technologies into the equation, and speak to potential buyers on their level, at their speed.
Real estate is a very unique industry, and so is the SEO approach associated with it. Real estate agents are trying to market a product and a service at the same time. Competing in local markets calls for in depth keyword analysis and usage. General real estate keywords are most effective in conjunction with specific geographical qualifiers. These geo-descriptive keywords can then be utilized in copy text, titles, descriptions, etc.
Since the products these real estate agents are trying to sell are actual geographic locations, many agents market their listings using the property's address. It is recommended to use the full property address, including the zip code and your state's letter code abbreviation, with the intention that search engines will index them with these attributes.
When dealing with high-end listings and buyers searching for upscale properties, keywords that emphasize the features and luxuries of the property are also important. Whereas the low-end listings will be attracting a different set of prospective buyers searching for keywords that emphasize a deal, the value, or the potential of the property.
Self-promotion keywords, such as agency or company name, can also be valuable qualifiers to buyers. When the agency is a corporate franchise, much of the brand marketing is already in place. Using these self-promotion keywords, along with geographic terms, can be very beneficial when trying to establish market authority.
Industry experts are saying that this downtime in the real estate market is a good time to "Get Back to Basics" for real estate agencies, by strengthening their internal operations, and developing new online marketing strategies to keep up. Around 70—80% of today's home buyers in the U.S. are finding their homes on the internet, so these agencies must adapt to the changing market trends, or become extinct.
Learn about Online Marketing Solutions from Oneupweb.
Image: respres
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Real Estate
Real Estate Marketing
Oneupweb
iPhone 3G Activates Mobile Apps Madness
Posted by chip on June 26, 2008 at 10:12 AM
Well since my last update the big news in mobile has undoubtedly been the upcoming release of the iPhone 3G. Billed as being twice as fast for half the price, this new version of the iPhone has the potential to attract a much wider user base.
Which brings us to the topic of this month's mobile update. What do you get when you combine the advanced mobile technology of the new iPhone (and other smart phones and mobile devices to be fair), ever-creative open source developers and a growing user base?
Do I really need to finish this thought? Mobile Apps of course!
While I can only speculate as to what ingenious mobile applications we'll all be using in the near future, and probably won't be able to live without before we know it, let's take a quick look at a few that are already out there.
Loopt Helps you Get Social
Compatible with over 80 different phones, and soon to include the iPhone 3G, Loopt is a GPS enabled mobile application that alerts you when someone from your social network is in the area and allows you to quickly and easily share messages and photos with them. The service is supposed to be so accurate that you can tell which restaurant, club or coffee shop your friends are hanging out at.
Mobiseer Helps you Get Organized
Since most mobile devices include a tiny screen, which limits navigation ability, Mobiseer allows you to bookmark all of your favorite .mobi sites for easy access. You can even create your own mobile page with quick links to all your frequent mobile destinations.
Mowser Helps you Get Searching
Ok, so there are several mobile search engines these days, what makes Mowser special? Well I could go into a little about how Mowser developed a technology that converts web pages into an optimum format for viewing on mobile devices, but the truth of the matter is that Nielsen Mobile recently released data showing that Google already has a 61% market share in the mobile search space, and that the big 3 search engines combined account for 84%. I guess I'd just like to see some new players get a shot in this space before it becomes impossible to break into.
MobiFeeds Helps you Stay Informed
Have you ever wished that you had an easy way to access your RSS news feeds and online subscriptions on the go? Enter MobiFeeds. Accessible to any phone with 2G or 3G technologies, and recommended for use with an XHTML browser, MobiFeeds makes it easy to add your feeds and access them no matter where you roam.
Of course these are just a few examples of the many new mobile applications that have been hitting the market at a relentless pace for quite some time now. Please feel free to add a comment about your favorite mobile app, and don't forget to tune in to the next mobile update.
Tags
iPhone 3G
Mobile Apps
Oneupweb
Local Search Strategies for Franchisors - New Oneupweb White Paper
Posted by amy on June 25, 2008 at 10:46 AM
The best marketers are able to balance the concerns and considerations of a whole company—finance, sales, development, IT—in every decision they make. And that can be a lot of people to please. But imagine if you added to that hundreds or even thousands of other entire companies, all with their own budgets, sales and other business areas to keep in mind.
Every franchisor understands that difficult balance and knows exactly what it's like to manage the goals and limitations of their franchisees along with those of the franchise itself. Is there a marketing strategy that can keep that many people, and that many budgets, happy and offer a good return?
Oneupweb's new white paper, Local Search Solutions for Franchisors, details the strategies and tactics of local search that can help solve this dilemma for franchisors—large and small—and offers tips and ideas that any online marketer can use to get started with local search right now.
Faced with the challenges of a rapidly changing economy, franchisors need to adapt to industry changes to stay competitive. Within this white paper we've broken down local search to fit a franchisor's unique business structure and marketing objectives, offering local search strategies for both natural and paid search marketing.
Franchisors will get answers to critical questions about local search, such as:
How can franchisors use local SEO to streamline the sales process and make sure they're found where qualified leads are looking?
How can franchisors advertise to consumers and give franchisees a positive, equitable return on their marketing investment?
How can franchisors show franchisees tangible evidence of a return on their marketing investment and track leads for potential franchisees through the long qualification process that often begins online and concludes offline?
Not only can you learn how to get started with local search right now, we've also highlighted how a professional online marketing partner can take your local search to the next level—showing you the big picture and big return that local search has to offer. Also, see how some of the world's top franchises are using local search, and where they are falling short, with our evaluation of the top franchises from Entrepreneur's 2008 Franchise 500®.
Discover how local search is an ideal match for the complex marketing objectives and current challenges facing franchisors in any industry. Whether you're a franchisor or online marketer in any industry, the strategies and benefits of local search in Local Search Solutions for Franchisors will help you get started with local search and start seeing results.
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Local Search
Franchise
Oneupweb
Integrate Banner Ads - Count the Clicks & Measure the Returns
Posted by carly on June 24, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Curious about the inside scoop, the things you don't hear from the sales executives of the world or glean from sell sheets and white papers? Seeking the information that will justify marketing budget expenditures to upper management? Read on, especially if you're proposing that the big dogs drop dollars on your integrated online marketing plan this year.
The most common misconception I hear from the top down is that online banner ads are just branding initiatives and they don't deliver any return—aka "Show me the ROI or your budget for this flashy non-sense is toast".
This is:
a) Understandable because as marketers we rely on a return to justify our very existence within an organization.
b) Completely ludicrous because without brand recognition: sales flop or remain steady at best, marketing expenses shoot through the roof and the organization is destined for locked doors and a staff of none.
c) Even more ludicrous considering that online banner ads are one of the easiest media forms to track—from initial contact, to closed sale—even if the process takes 6 months.
d) Most definitely ludicrous if the online media manager you are working with suggests that you run online banner advertising exclusively as a branding initiative—we all know those pretty flashy creations are best suited for lead generation.
Here's a good example you can customize, use to get your budget for those fancy flash ads approved, and show a tangible return while building your brand.
No matter what industry you're working in—it's safe to say that it takes a well balanced media plan to deliver optimum results. As consumers (whether we represent a business or we're making purchases for ourselves), we no longer rely on just one type of media to collect the information that influences our purchasing decisions.
For example, your boss says, "Find a new email marketing service provider, this week".
Quickly, you recall a print ad you saw in one of the trade pubs that piled up on your desk last week. You can remember the logo and the color of the ad but aren't 100% certain about the name of the company. And, you recycled the pub last week.
You turn to your computer to make your first attempt at managing your smoking inbox for the day. In it, you come across a wordy email campaign with a convoluted subject line (yes, I am subtly telling you this is an email marketing "don't") which looks to be touting the same email marketing company you recalled from the print ad. You attempt to get through it but your phone rings and your inbox continues to fill so you file the email away.
Later in the day, while reviewing headlines that came through your RSS reader—you see an online banner ad for that same email marketing company. Finally, you know the name of the company. You click on the banner ad as directed to receive a free 3 minute demo of the company's capabilities. Your boss walks into your office—you have 2 minutes left in the demo and close it out. Later that afternoon, you have a few free minutes to dig in to hiring a new email marketing service provider. You bring up Google, type in the name of the email marketing company you have now been coveting for the entire day, click through to their website and request a proposal.
It was print, email marketing, online banner ads and search engine optimization that got you there.
When you clicked on the banner ad—it surely wasn't your first attempted interaction with the email marketing company, in fact, it was almost your last. But your interaction with that banner is traceable (if indeed the company in question has the appropriate analytics tools). From that click you then traveled to the website and requested a proposal and thus became a lead for the sales team. Two weeks later, your boss signs off on the contract with the new email marketing company—delivering a tangible return on the marketing investment that was made in the online banner ad campaign you saw.
Would you have clicked without the preceding print ad and email campaign? Most likely not... it was the integration of all of the print, email and online campaigns that allowed the company to build some brand recognition with you before you could even recall the name of the company so that you could search for them on Google.
Integration builds stronger brands, stronger brands build greater brand recognition and loyalty, brand loyalty drives word of mouth branding and referral business—which of course drives down the cost of marketing your business. Integration works and delivers measurable returns. Try it—and don't eliminate those fancy flash ads.
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Banner Ads
Media Planning
Oneupweb
Presidential Campaigns: Online & Everywhere
Posted by nick on June 23, 2008 at 10:45 AM
The way candidates campaign for the office of the President of the United States of America has changed a great deal over the last 200 odd years.
In the early days, all a presidential candidate needed to do was give a couple positive speeches, kiss a few babies and they were golden. 
Then came election debates. From radio to television, these debates showcased the ability of candidates to think on their toes when explaining to the listening public their individual stances on the current election's key issues.
Speaking of television, let's not forget those political favorites... campaign commercials. It seems like as soon as the first leaf falls on election season, political commercials seem to take up more air time then reality TV.
All this is changing however, with the growing use of online political ads. And apparently, they're working.
A recent report from Pew Internet provides some interesting data on how the current presidential election is being influenced over the internet. According to their numbers, 46% of Americans have used the internet, email or text messaging to access campaign news and share their views on the candidates. Social network campaigning seems to be reaching people as well; Pew reports that 10% of Americans have used social media to seek out information on candidates and look for ways to become involved in the election process.
Though the campaigns of McCain and Obama both use online ads to reach potential voters, Pew Internet shows that one currently holds a strong lead when it comes to voters looking for info about them:
In a head-to-head match up with internet users who support Republican McCain, Obama's backers are more likely to get political news and information online (65% vs. 56%).
Could this new way of reaching the American public also help to boost the low voter turnout rates that have been plaguing presidential elections over the last couple of decades? According to the U.S. Census Bureau, voter turnout did rise 7% from 2000 to 2004, though the total was still only 67%. Might this small increase be a result of voters having easier access to political information online and the reach of internet campaigning? Hopefully, after the coming election results are in and we know who America's next prom king... I mean President is, we will get some definitive numbers on how online campaigning has affected voter turnout.
While it is certainly interesting, all these current and proposed numbers really don't surprise me. It already seemed this election, compared to any other in recent years, is using the online spectrum more. Every time I access a news site or log into my email account, I see some political ad to the side of the screen asking, "Who do you support?"
It looks like political campaigning online is here to stay, which makes me wonder: How long will it take before online ads go the way of television campaign commercials and do little more than make us roll our eyes. Come to think of it, maybe it has already happened.
Related StraightUpSearch blog posts:
Memo to Hillary and Barack: YouTube Is a Two-Headed Beast
Democratic Debate - Capitalizing on Heated Exchanges
McCain Buys Hillary. Mitt Buys A Bunch. Others By Stand.
The 2008 Presidential Race Online & Personal
Barack Obama Image Credit: BohPhoto
John McCain Image Credit: marcn
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Presidential Campaign
Presidential Candidates
Oneupweb
Google Adwords Editor 6.0 - New Feature Highlights
Posted by mike k on June 20, 2008 at 04:47 PM
Earlier this month Google released an updated version of its campaign management tool, AdWords Editor. Version 6.0 brings a number of new features that make managing AdWords campaigns easier and more efficient. Below I've outlined some of the most notable changes contained in the new release.
Account Statistics
1. Export statistics to a CSV file:
Users are now able to export account statistics directly to a CSV file within AdWords Editor. In the past, performance statistics exports were only possible within the report center in the AdWords web interface.
2. Update minimum CPC bids:
Earlier versions of AE were only able to download updated minimum CPC bid information by deleting and then re-downloading the entire account. Google has added the ability to download account changes including minimum bid information with one click. This is very useful to quickly find keywords that may have gone inactive due to an increase in minimum CPC.
Editing Tools
1. Spell checking:
Users can now spell check keyword and ad text fields within AdWords Editor. Misspelled words will be underlined in red and right-clicking them will present suggested spellings. Currently spell checking is available for English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Dutch.
2. Append text:
The ability to append text to the beginning or end of selected items such as ad copy, keywords and even display or destination URLs is probably my favorite new feature in version 6.0. Generating multiple keyword variations from a core set of terms is very useful and saves a lot of time since the user doesn't have to manually add a modifier into each keyword.
Improved Duplicate Keyword Finder
1. New sorting options:
Users can now sort results produced by the duplicate keyword finder by various criteria such as max CPC, min CPC, CTR, impressions, average position and even capitalization. These new sorting options make it easier than ever to keep an AdWords campaign free of the occasional duplicate keyword.
In Summary
In the past we've been known to point out some areas where we think Google comes up a bit short, but it's nice to see them continue development on this tool. In fact, they continue to lead the way when it comes to innovations in the technology of the online ad-space.
While the new features of AdWords Editor 6.0 are a welcomed refresh to an already solid application there is still room for additional improvements. I am hoping that future versions will add support for some of the more advanced location targeting options such as defining a radius around a central map location. If this kind of local targeting setting is currently enabled and the user tries to make adjustments within AdWords Editor you are presented with a notice stating that the options are not supported. I would imagine it is only a matter of time before a new version is released with added support for features that are currently only accessible through the AdWords web interface.
Discover the benefits of Oneupweb's Paid Search Services.
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AdWords
AdWords Editor
Oneupweb
Flippin' Out for JCPenney
Posted by tim on June 20, 2008 at 08:59 AM
Just when you thought we had been the victims of a horribly disfiguring 3 person bicycle accident, we reappear safe and sound in the Oneupweb studios for another episode of StraightUpSearch the Podcast!
Here's the rundown for today's show:
Cool Tool: Flip Video (4:12)
Do It!: Unique/Dynamic 800#s (8:29)
Site of the Week: JCPenney (11:45)
Yes, we mixed up the rundown order today - thanks for noticing. Today's show calls it quits at: 25:55
Want more StraightUpSearch the Podcast? You can listen to past episodes of StraightUpSearch, subscribe to the show via iTunes or add our RSS Feed to your favorite reader.
Enjoy the show and we'll be back soon.
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StraightUpSearch
StraightUpSearch Podcast
Oneupweb
Update: Google & Yahoo Search Deal Enters Undefined Territory
Posted by amy on June 19, 2008 at 08:59 AM
Back in April, we first discussed the trial of a search deal between Google and Yahoo in our post, Yahoo Tests Google Search Ads: A Search Rivalry. Now, Google and Yahoo have made it official: Google will be providing Yahoo ad technology and making the two companies' instant message systems compatible for interoperability.
The deal, originally thought to be a clever means of encouraging Microsoft to increase their buyout offer to Yahoo, is now the center of attention even after the recent demise of the Microsoft-Yahoo buyout deal. And, after months of proxy challenges, buyout offers and complicated corporate exchanges, the success of this deal hinges on something as simple as a definition.
The Basics of the Yahoo-Google Ad Deal:
- The deal only applies to Yahoo search results and web properties in the U.S. and Canada. (1)
- The deal is non-exclusive. Yahoo can display paid search results from third parties and/or their own network. (1)
- The term of the agreement is up to 10 years. A four-year initial term and two, three-year renewals at Yahoo's option.(1)
- The agreement requires Yahoo to pay Google a termination fee of $250 million (subject to some adjustments) if the agreement is terminated because of a change in Yahoo's control within 24 months. (1)
The details seem straight-forward but the buzz is all about 'monopoly.' Will antitrust issues be raised by the Yahoo-Google ad partnership? Well, before anyone can argue that Google is hindering competition or monopolizing the market, you have to define their market. This is really just a basic definition of Google's business. What is it that Google does primarily? What is their industry?
Is Google's relevant market advertising, including traditional offline advertising as well as online ads? Google has expanded into traditional media such as print, so maybe a broad definition is required. (2) Or, should Google's market be defined more narrowly as online advertising, or even more narrowly as search advertising.
This definition will make all the difference for Google. For example, if Google's relevant market is defined in its most narrow form—search advertising—then their market share alone, without regard to the Yahoo deal, could raise antitrust concerns. With over 60% of the searches performed on Google according to comScore, Google could be capable of anti-competitive behavior because of their dominance—and a partnership with Yahoo would only add to their power with regard to search advertising.
The broadest definition including all advertising would leave Google in a good position. There are a whole range of competitors and Google isn't in a position to dominate the entire advertising market with or without the Yahoo partnership. Even if Google was the dominant player in search advertising or online advertising, that would account for only a small percentage of the overall advertising market. (3)
This is one item regulators are likely to be debating for many months to come. And, it will likely be this definition that will dictate the success or failure of antitrust allegations and, possibly, the viability of the Yahoo-Google search partnership.
Image: danielbroche
(1) Press Release: Yahoo! to Strengthen Competitive Position in Online Advertising Through Non-Exclusive Agreement With Google, Yahoo Inc., June 12, 2008.
(2) Press Release: Google Expands Print Advertising Program, July 18, 2007.
(3) Joseph Weisenthal, Yahoo-Google: Antitrust Outcome Hinges On Market Definition: Is It Search Ads? Online Ads?, June 17, 2008.
Laying the Foundation for Enhanced Search Engine Visibility
Posted by steve on June 18, 2008 at 11:18 AM
When it comes to obtaining and sustaining optimal search engine presence for keywords relevant to your website and company, specifically in the natural/organic listings, the layout and architecture of your site is an essential element which comes into play.
Much of the information and advice that you'll find out there surrounding Search Engine Optimization (SEO) pertains to the importance of identifying and building relevancy around targeted keywords. You'll also find extensive coverage relevant to link building, with a multitude of varied opinions on the best way to go about improving link popularity.
While there is no mistaking that identification of the right keywords is one of the most important aspects to any successful SEO campaign, and that quality inbound links are essential to establishing top placement among your competition for those keywords, the importance of first laying the foundation for enhanced search engine visibility often seems understated.
The development and implementation of a comprehensive search engine optimization campaign should always first include an in-depth analysis of your website from a search engine perspective.
It is no secret that in order to achieve top placement in the organic search engine listings for relevant keywords, the search engines must first crawl and index your site. What isn't as commonly understood is the way that search engines spider websites and how they assign relevancy to different pages, and different elements within those pages, based on a variety of factors.
Whether you are handling your SEO efforts in-house, or you have outsourced the work to an outside firm, a comprehensive site analysis should be at the forefront of your plan in order to uncover any and all issues which are impeding the ability of the search engines to effectively crawl your website.
An in-depth site analysis, and more importantly, the site changes recommended based on that analysis, are often overlooked when companies are preparing to engage in an SEO campaign as many are focused solely on site updates relevant to targeted keywords, rather than technical updates, which may initially seem unnecessary.
It is important that companies fully understand not only the potential investment needed in order to create a site which is ideal from a search engine standpoint, but also the inherent value associated with doing so. Whether or not you have outsourced your search engine optimization campaign, it is the responsibility of your SEO team to help you better understand the current status of the site, along with the rationale behind each recommendation made. From that point, they should then work closely with your IT team to help ensure those recommendations are implemented correctly, and that ideal solutions are developed based on time and resources available.
With the right foundation, you will give your site the best potential to maximize its presence throughout the search engines.
Tags
SEO
Website Analysis
Oneupweb
Receive Oneupweb Updates via Twitter
Posted by keirsun on June 18, 2008 at 11:10 AM
Want the latest Oneupweb updates on your mobile (or via the web)?
We set up a Oneupweb Twitter account so you can easily receive the latest OUW updates.
Simply create an account on Twitter (no worries, it's free) and then follow us.
Whenever we add a new blog post, release a new white paper, let loose a new podcast episode, share a press release, update our Flickr photos, etc., you will receive a short text message with a link to the item.
It's that easy.
Internet Retailer Conference 2008 Recap
Posted by duncan on June 17, 2008 at 01:35 PM
Chicago can be splendid in June. The Internet Retailer Conference 2008 brought me there last week. McCormick Place West was a hive of internet retailers. Warm weather enhanced evening strolls down Michigan Avenue. Millennium Park bustled with art gawkers. I am glad I went.
Among the highlights of my experience at the show was an interview by Peter Prestipino and Susan A. Whitehurst of Website Magazine. We discussed changes in the search and online marketing landscape. I pointed to the benefits of podcasting and blogging. I explained Oneupweb's new consulting services for in-house marketing teams.
Jack Love of Vertical Web Media elucidated on the results of the latest Internet Retailer Top 500 list. Amazon.com is still the king. Surprised? I didn't think so. Pure play sites like Zappos.com are still outperforming chains like Foot Locker. Internet retail is growing faster than offline retail. Great news for us e-marketers!
Jack Love did not dig too deeply into how top retailers can grow even more. Check out Oneupweb's study on how many top retailers are leaving money on the table by ignoring search marketing.
Countless conference attendees and other exhibitors stopped by our booth (pictured below). We enjoyed talking with and learning from all of you. Many of those conversations are ongoing. The seeds for business relationships and friendships have been planted.
If you didn't get a chance to talk with us, please reach out to us at OneUpWeb.com.
I can't forget the camaraderie of my fellow colleagues Lisa, Tim, Keirsun, and Maureen. Thank you all.
Everything was smooth sailing except a few glitches with our flights. Will the airlines ever get it right?
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IRCE 2008
Internet Retailer Conference
Oneupweb
We're Getting Natural Search Traffic On What?
Posted by teal on June 16, 2008 at 08:15 AM
As an SEO, there's a metric I frequently use to demonstrate a very important and positive effect of a properly and thoroughly executed SEO campaign. It doesn't have to do specifically with positioning, but with optimization, relevancy, and overall search engine visibility. It has to do with how search engines, specifically Google, use language semantics and relationships between words to determine relevancy, and how optimizing for a set of terms doesn't mean you're going to get traffic on just those exact terms.
Instead, it means your site will see traffic from potentially hundreds or thousands of keyword variations - resulting in an overall increase in search engine visibility.
That said, when measuring the success of an SEO campaign, it's important to watch positioning, unique visits, conversions, etc., but also to record and track the keyword variations used to find your website in search engine results; that is, the many different terms that were typed into search engines that have resulted in a visit to your website. Ideally, this number should increase as SEO work is implemented. It's also important that the list of targeted terms does not represent the ONLY terms a site will get natural search traffic from. Because the engines are able to make semantic connections between words and can deal in keyword variations, it's important to analyze the keyword traffic you're getting on variations of your targeted terms.
For example, an online retailer of baby furniture may begin an SEO project with a variety of top level terms, which likely include the keyword "crib". By performing the search ~crib we can see that Google recognizes terms like 'bedding', 'baby furniture', 'baby', 'crib bedding', etc. (see bolded terms in results) as related to the searched term. By naturally using terms like this throughout optimization, the overall relevancy for baby crib-related terms will be higher, therefore increasing the overall relevancy of your site for related terms and improving traffic opportunities.
In a conversation about keyword traffic, it's also important to discuss the long-tail terms that are likely going to drive traffic to the site. For example, optimizing for the term pocket protectors may result in traffic from terms such as leather pocket protectors, plastic pocket protector, clear pocket protector, vinyl pocket protector, pocket pen protector, and many others, depending on the types of products offered. By naturally referring to the products and qualifying them in a manner that is consistent with the products or services you offer, you will increase the overall optimization on your site.
In the end, it's important to study and research terms related to your primary targeted terms in order to improve your site's opportunity to gain traffic from a variety of related terms. It's also very important to monitor and analyze keyword traffic to see how initial optimization has resulted in site traffic from an assortment of long-tail and related terms, and recognize that these terms represent increased exposure in the search engines.
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Search Engine Optimization
Keyword Optimization
Oneupweb
Duplicate Content, Google, and Your Site
Posted by Christopher on June 11, 2008 at 04:21 PM
On the Official Google Webmaster Central Blog, Search Quality Team member Sven Naumann posted some clarification regarding duplicate content and scraping. I do recommend you read it, but regardless, a synopsis: scraping content's not going to get you anywhere in Google's natural rankings. It's duplicate, it belongs to someone else, Google knows it, so cut it out, losers. Stop scraping. (Funny, though, that many of the sites I find who've scraped my clients' content are fully stocked with AdSense ads. Kind of a mixed message, there.)
Good stuff, all told. Good stuff that links to more good stuff by Adam Lasnik and Vanessa Fox that expands the conversation beyond scraping.
Read it. Read it all.
I've recently had a number of conversations regarding duplicate content, its potential ill effects, its (more likely) potential lack of delivering any positive effects toward ranking, its overall uselessness. Its dead weight. I think that more to the point of the entire duplicate content issue is why people think that content in and of itself, that any copy at all (regardless of, um, its content/what it says), is a boon to their site. I.e., why do scrapers scrape?
What do you say to a client who (and thus confirming, once again, the cliche that a little knowledge is worse than none at all), having read that content is an indicator of quality in the "eyes" of search engines, purchased a bunch of syndicated articles that, unfortunately, are spread throughout the web, verbatim, on a jillion different sites? You say "well, that's great, if it's doing your visitors a service, but don't expect it to help you a whole bunch, position-wise."
"But it's content."
"You betcha. But you can find the same exact content, verbatim, on many other sites. This means it's not unique. It's not even duplicate, because it's on like eighty sites. It's eighty-uplicate. It's oct-decaplicate."
"But, content is king."
No, you explain further. Unique content is king. Content for the sake of content is filler.
"So how do I make my content unique?"
Here's where the discussion gets a bit sticky. The best unique content is pulled directly out of the creator's brain. Think of your visitors. Think of your brand. You have expertise in what you're doing, right? Why? What do you know? Write about it. Tell your potential clients why they should become actual clients. Help them learn. Further, it's acceptable to do applicable research, gain additional knowledge, and pass that information on in your own words. If you have a source, credit it/him/her with an "according to..." or something similar. That's OK. That's unique. The point must be made, however, that poorly written unique copy may well do more harm than good, so if you can't write, hire someone who can.
Here's what's not OK. My sixth grade teacher, who was mean and scary but who, in my memory, did make the occasional good point (albeit in a way that was unnecessarily mean and scary), provided a fine example of plagiarism while explaining the rules concerning an upcoming research paper (our first ever; I'm pretty sure I did mine on Stretch Armstrong). He'd had a student who he'd suspected had copied his entire report, as the work was of a far greater caliber than displayed by this student's previous work. This suspicion was confirmed when he found, in the middle of a passage, apropos to nothing, the phrase "...(continued on back flap)..."
Busted.
That's not OK. Don't do that. That, in the guise of a sixth-grade book report, is scraping.
Per Mr. Naumann:
"In the majority of cases, having duplicate content does not have negative effects on your site's presence in the Google index."
Yeah, well, keep in mind that in the majority of cases of tapeworm infestation, the infestee doesn't die. That shouldn't come across as a free pass to eat raw pork. I'd say if you get scraped, don't lose sleep, but worry enough to send a cease and desist letter to the owner of the site that's stolen your content.
It's not easy, creating unique content. But think of your site as brick and mortar for a moment: how long would you endure a salesperson who, when approaching a potential client, repeated, verbatim, your competitor's sales pitch? A day, even? In addition, It's probably not going to impress your potential visitors much. And you don't have the benefit of the brick and mortar. Inertia and proximity aren't your friends online; your competitors are one click away, every client is besieged with choices, and if you don't stand out, they won't wait.
Image: popilop
Tags
Duplicate Content
Scraping
Google
Oneupweb
One-Stop Shopping with Google
Posted by vern on June 10, 2008 at 09:40 AM
Are you ready to buy the latest and greatest electronic device? Checked out the reviews and know the manufacturer and model number? Well, Google makes it easy to complete the final step in the purchase process - compare prices. There's no need to go to the 200+ comparison shopping engines to get the best price. One stop at Google.com will suffice.
Let's use "Garmin C550" as the product we want to buy. GPS systems flooded the markets during the holiday season and now it seems everyone sells them. Search "Garmin C550" in Google.com and carefully examine the search engine results page (SERP). You'll see Sponsored Links (paid search ads) across the top and right side of the page along with the organic search results, which are left-justified but occupy most of the page. Nestled above the organic results is a result labeled "Shopping results for Garmin C550". Just below are a few links to retailers offering what we're looking for. Don't click on anything just yet. Check prices in the sponsored links ads and the shopping results. You now have a range of prices for the object of your desire. Note any add-on or free shipping offers.
To get a more complete list of prices click on the "Shopping results for Garmin C550". This will open a page displaying the Google Product Search listings along with the sponsored links we saw on the SERP. Click on the "Compare Prices" button to open a page with store name, seller ratings and price. At the bottom of the page I see that 273 sellers are included in this list. I'd argue that we're getting a pretty complete sample of prices for the Garmin GPS without navigating to a single comparison shopping engine. Submitting listings to Google Product Search is free to retailers, so anyone serious about ecommerce participates.
You can sort this page by price from low to high. Here's where we have to be careful. Look for an established seller, a national or regional company. They'll be more likely to have the product in stock, and if you have a need to contact customer service, you'll be in good hands. Check out the seller ratings for stores you're not familiar with. Find the best combination of price, free shipping and store credibility and you're ready to buy. Just click on the store name and you should be linked to the exact product you're shopping for.
Now, get out there and do your duty in support of the U.S. economy. Happy shopping!
Tags
Garmin
GPS
Online Shopping
Oneupweb
SEO Haiku with a Touch of PPC
Posted by samantha on June 10, 2008 at 07:56 AM
In a previous post, I had the pleasure of presenting you with SEO themed haiku.
Since I had so much fun writing that post, I knew exactly what to write when I found out it was once again my turn to post on StraightUpSearch.
While the haiku found in my prior post focused mostly on social media and natural search engine optimization, I thought it would be fun to diversify and focus on paid search this time.
So without further adieu, I present you to you, SEO Haiku with a PPC theme. I truly hope you enjoy!
analyze metrics
google, msn, yahoo...
who performs the best?
exact match, broad match...
paid search terminology
paid survival guide
latent conversions!
I must not forget your clicks;
you still may come through.
method to madness -
marketing analytics
lights my campaign's path.
trademark infringement,
I am I! You are not I!
our tools can protect
for this last one, a couple of my talented coworkers wanted in on the fun, so I proudly present some coworker contributed haiku:
wants and needs you search
ad copy lures you to site
then I sell you things
Again, as with last time, I invite you to share in the creativity by commenting with your own original SEO or SEM inspired haiku!
Tags
PPC
Haiku
Paid Search Marketing
Oneupweb
Remember to Tip Your Server... And Your SEO
Posted by jared on June 09, 2008 at 08:00 AM
It's been an interesting trip. And a huge change. Working in a restaurant with prep cooks threatening to beat me up in the parking lot. Exploding ovens, missing eyebrows. Old women yelling at me, "How hard is your job?!" Sliced off fingers (saved on ice). Dumping grease.
Restaurants are never a bad gig. It's mostly good money, and an excellent jumping off point for kids. But I don't really feel like asking if you'd like a refill on your ice tea forever. I also didn't dig myself into student debt to make kiddie cocktails for children who are just going to throw their mac-n-cheeze on the floor anyway.
SEO and web marketing in any aspect is a brand new concept for me. I had no idea men and women of an entire company work to position websites through keywords and relevant linking. And those were the same folks behind a vast majority of websites that are returned when I search for movie theaters or hair spray potato cannons. The concept, new to me remember, is both horribly obvious and incredibly ingenious. Thanks SEO for letting me find the Potato Pulverizer at the top of my SERP!
Yet search engine optimization isn't too different than waiting tables, cooking food, or folding and packing cardboard boxes at a cucumber factory for ten hours a day at 5.25/hr (my first job, I was 14, the only one who spoke English, I lasted 5 days).
OK, maybe not the last one.
Switching from any industry to web marketing, an individual has to utilize skills they've learned in other aspects of life; in my case, waiting tables. A sense about people, their needs and wants. Intuition into what a certain customer may be in the mood for. Politeness, an outgoing personality. Marketing has a lot to do with reading people, feeling out what the general public is searching for. Same with SEO I've found. We use keyword lists generated with thousands of variations of whatever the user is looking for. Those get narrowed down to the most potent words, the most clickable and user-friendly.
An SEO doesn't just push, push, push. He or she intuits what the target audience wants, styles their writing to provide that audience with the information they're searching for. It's about pleasing the customer, while recognizing the goals of the restaurateur.
So I guess you could say those bratty, messy toddlers are the spammers and black hatters throwing fistfuls of mushed tater tots and keywords everywhere to get attention. And we SEO's are the servers playing up to the fun tables ordering rounds of drinks... and letting the busser clean up the mac-n-cheeze.
Image: louderthanadam